Notre Home: Bilingual hip-hop anthem and provincial tour to foster a sense of belonging among young Anglo-Quebecers

The Government of Quebec is contributing $20,000 to this innovative approach towards building bridges between French and English-speaking Quebecers.

Montreal, January 17, 2013 – Over the next few months, Montreal singer-songwriter David Hodges will be touring the province to meet young people and promote bridge building between French- and English-speaking Quebecers through his song Notre Home.

Written by David Hodges and performed by The Honest Family, a collective of Montreal artists fusing hip-hop, rock and soul, Notre Home nurtures Quebec’s social fabric by conveying themes of engagement, leadership, as well as cultural and linguistic identity.

“When QCGN approached me in February 2012 to compose and perform the song, I was immediately taken by the social aspect of the project,” enthused David Hodges. “I believe that the younger generation, whatever their origins, are ready to move on to other things and invest in their future.”

As a socially committed artist, Hodges runs workshops for young people, using music as a way to talk about the issues facing youth. He also advocates for the importance of being honest and collaborates on Kids Help Phone projects which aim to raise awareness about bullying and intimidation in schools.

Following a provincial youth consultation in 2008, and arising from the strategic orientations contained in the report Creating Spaces for Young Quebecers, the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) commissioned the bilingual anthem Notre Home to foster a sense of belonging among young Quebecers. Given the popularity of the song and its accompanying video, the QCGN undertook to create a new version of the song as a means of reaching out to the Francophone majority.

“The QCGN proposed that we help finance a provincial tour to promote the message of inclusion that is conveyed in the song and in the video. As we fully endorse the objective of this campaign, it is with pleasure that I will support this project by contributing the sum of $20, 000,” said Jean-François Lisée, minister responsible for Montreal and the English-speaking community. “We were delighted by the community’s desire to build bridges and by the spirit of the song that was the end result.”

“Innovative and inclusive, this bilingual anthem is a call to action to a new generation of Quebecers eager to find their place in Quebec, to embody change, come together and make their mark,” said Sylvia Martin-Laforge, Director General of the QCGN.

Hodges begins his provincial tour in February, travelling from the Gaspé to Quebec City via the Outaouais and the Montreal metropolitain area. Over the coming months, his calendar of regional events will be updated regularly at www.NotreHome.ca.

The Quebec Community Groups Network (www.qcgn.ca) is a not-for-profit organization bringing together 41 English-language community organizations across Quebec. Its mission is to identify, explore and address strategic issues affecting the development and vitality of English-speaking Quebec and to encourage dialogue and collaboration among its member organizations, individuals, community groups, institutions and leaders.